Hourglass
by insufferablelittleknow-it-all
Summary: A fanfiction following the story of Jem and Tessa after the epilogue. *features spoilers. After 80 years, they work at rebuilding their relationships and getting to know each other again. What future will they have together?
1. Chapter 1

**I DO NOT IN ANYWAY OWN THE INFERNAL DEVICES SERIES. THIS IS SIMPLY A FANFICTION USING CHARACTERS (NOT MINE) FROM CASSANDRA CLARE'S BOOKS.**

_And if the Thames that ran beside them, sure and silver in the afternoon light, recalled a night long ago when the moon shone as brightly as a shilling on this same boy and girl, or if the stones of Blackfriars knew the tread of their feet and thought to themselves: At last, the wheel comes full circle, they kept their silence._

Tessa felt the warm tears trickle down her face, tasted the salt in her mouth as well as Jem's. He drew away slowly, and cupped Tessa's cheek where the tears lay upon it, and silently kissed them. Tessa laid her head against his chest and he stroked her back, whispering,

"I know, I know."

It had been so long since she had felt this warmth and contentment, and felt as if she made a difference in the world. There was a slight hesitation as he stroked her back, and she lifted her head up. His eyes were closed, fine lashes capturing small droplets of water, but sensing her gaze, he opened his gold-flecked eyes, and Tessa stared into them. They held a profound sorrow that she felt in herself, but looking into them she saw a deep understanding only Jem possessed, gained by years of watching, and a window into a new opportunity, optimism, and a new life. She blinked her eyes and smiled at Jem. She linked her hand in his and they turned towards the steps leading back up to the street.

...

Tessa's apartment was small but light and airy. It was in fact within walking distance of the Institute, but Tessa had decided not to mention that to Jem just yet. She knew there was no threat of him recognising the way, all of the buildings had been completely modernised in the last 80 years.

She stared nervously at Jem's expression as she unlocked the door and swung it wide, exposing her apartment. Living by herself she had had a lot of time to make it feel homey and to fit her personality. It was happy and joyful in an elegant way. Antique artworks hung on the walls, as well as a mix of old and modern furniture scattered around the apartment. Jem's eyes widened and his mouth opened marginally as he slowly wandered in and stared out of the great glass doors at the bustling London street.

"Wow," he whispered. "This, this is _amazing_."

"Do you think?" Tessa asked shyly.

"Yes, it is wonderful!" Jem quite quickly rushed over to a stool in front of the bench and then touched it lightly, as if fearing it might break at his touch. He then walked over to the lounge and sat down, feeling the fabric. Tessa opened the latch on the glass doors and slid them open, letting all of the sound come in. Jem stood up and moved to stand next to her on the balcony. His hands gripped the metal bar, and he breathed in the fresh air.

"I have not experienced such sights, smells, tastes or textures for so long. It is good to be able to feel again."

"Well do not fear for your senses yet Jem!" Tessa smiled. "Soon you will be regretting that you can feel the cold and the wet, when I take you into the deepest and darkest parts of the Amazonian rainforest."

Jem laughed. "Well I can see you have an idea of what you want to do. No dallying, straight into the frying pan, and if it doesn't work out, I can deal with the fire."

Tessa grabbed his hand on the railing. "Enough teasing," she whined playfully. "I'll show you the rest of the apartment."


	2. Chapter 2

Tessa dragged Jem back inside and down a hallway, pointing out rooms left, right and centre.

"That one's the spare room, and then the bathroom, and then the laundry closet, and, this one's my room." Jem peeked in and saw a very neat room with bookshelves lining all possible wall space.

Tessa looked hesitantly at him and bit her lip.

"So, you'll be needing somewhere to sleep so, um, if you wanted-"

"Could you possibly make up the bed for me in the spare room please?" Jem interrupted. "I'm afraid hospital bed corners weren't part of what the Silent Brothers taught me, and the results of any attempts made by me would be disastrous."

"Oh. of course, of course." Tessa only appeared surprised for a second, then bustled to the laundry closet and waddled into the spare room with an armful of white linen. "Well come on then!" She called out to Jem. "I can't have you staying here without knowing how to take care of your bed!"

"Humph. I come out of the brotherhood to be taught how to fold bed sheets." Jem mumbled as he followed her in, being rewarded by a pillow in the face.

…

"You can start by pulling the pillowslip onto that," Tessa said as she laid out a sheet onto the bed. "Then you can come help me with the sheet corners."

With an experienced hand Tessa showed Jem how to fold the sheet over and tuck it underneath the mattress. Her hands shook as she corrected his mistakes and guided his hands over the linen. She subconsciously smoothed out several creases and then jumped as if she had been shocked.

"Excuse me," Tessa whispered, and she dashed out of the room. She stumbled down the hallway and leant against the kitchen bench, breathing in deeply. A pair of golden eyes flashed in front of her own, followed by some softer blue ones. She hardly noticed the fine hand resting hesitantly on her shoulder.

"Tessa?" Jem said softly. He took her by the hand and gently led her over the lounge where he sat beside her, holding her hand between his two. Tessa stared silently down at her knees.

"James," she whispered. "I… I taught him that as well. Lucie too. She always got the sheets stuck in the bed frame… And I – "

Tessa gasped and drew her hands to her face. Jem slowly pulled them away, exposing Tessa's glistening eyes. He hesitated for a moment as he rubbed his finger over her knuckles.

"And what did you do when she got the sheets stuck in the frame? I do hope you didn't get angry, I may make the same mistake." He asked gently.

"I would…" Tessa breathed in. "I would let her try to get them unstuck, and if they tore, she would have to sleep with them like that, but if they were fine, James would have to redo her bed."

"And what mischief did James get up to?" Jem coaxed.

Tessa smiled wanly. "James was always _too_ truthful. He did not realise that sometimes it would be kinder to lie to someone than to tell them the truth. Like when he exclaimed to Charlotte how he had tortured her cat for sacrificial purposes. Or broke poor little Katherine Penhallow's heart when he told her that her nose was humongous…"

Jem listened thoughtfully as Tessa let out her memories. Every sentence she started was more confident than the last, and her gestures became more animated as she spoke. Jem moved only from her side to make some tea, which she sipped in between anecdotes. Jem had always marvelled at Tessa's storytelling abilities, and listening to her in that moment, he remembered those experiences as brotherhood had not permitted him to. Black haired boys falling into lakes, red and brown tresses flowing in a summer breeze, peaceful blue eyes, melancholy music telling a life story, but no… the music had stopped. Tessa was no longer talking, but curled up on the lounge, her head resting in Jem's lap. He tucked a wayward curl behind her ear and carried her into her room. He tucked her into her bed, kissed her quickly and softly on the forehead, and was walking from the room when a small voice called out behind him.

"Jem?" Tessa eyelashes fluttered against her weary eyes.

He looked behind him in the doorframe. "Yes?"

"You still have to tell me about your life."

Jem smiled, a peaceful, contented, simple smile. "Tomorrow."

**Hi Guys! Please review! I will try to update as soon as possible! :) Hope you liked it, but PLEASE REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi Lily (if you're out there)! Thanks so much for the review! :) Hopefully others will follow your example (cough cough).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or the Infernal Devices, not even Will T-T. These belong to Cassandra Clare. Now, what was happening in the story?**

* * *

The sunlight shone clearly through the windows, Tessa could see it through her eyelids. It reminded her of the smell that all shadow hunters seemed to have. She tentatively reached beside her, and paused. There was quite a _peculiar_ smell drifting in through her open bedroom door. She followed her nose through to the kitchen, where she could just see the back of someone happily flipping... was that bacon?

"Er... Jem?" She called. He whizzed around and beamed at her.

"Tessa! Good morning! Did you sleep well? I was just making some breakfast. I hope that's alright. Um..." He looked around bashfully. "Would you like some bacon?" he offered a brown crusty something on a plate.

"Um, sure." Tessa took it. "And I did sleep well, thank you. Was the spare bed to your liking?" She sat down at the bench and cautiously stuck her fork into the bacon.

Jem blushed almost imperceptibly. There had been a time when any emotion would have shown on his pale face like a red banner, but now he had a strong vigour, and the brotherhood had made his face harder to read. There were chapters in his book that would forever be closed.

"Yes... it was strange to have a real bed again. I felt like I was drowning in the mattress."

Tessa bit into a bit of bacon and broke into a coughing fit. Jem frowned slightly but returned to the frying pan.

"That reminds me." Tessa began, gulping down the last of the charred residue. "You still need to tell me about your life as a brother."

Jem didn't turn around. "Okay, well I'm a bit preoccupied preventing the bacon from burning at the moment, how about when I get a chance later?"

Tessa picked up the keys from the bench and jumped up from the bench. "How about over breakfast?" she rose onto her tiptoes and whispered in Jem's ear, "The bacon's way past burnt."

…

The London streets were already busy and clogged with traffic by the time that Jem and Tessa left the apartment. Tessa clasped Jem's hand and led him through the bustling crowds. She was headed towards a little café that Magnus had discovered during the 1950s. It was owned by a kindly little witch, who wasn't overly watchful about who wanted feeding. A boy with a bright red tail protruding from his trousers showed them to their table. Jem gingerly sat down in one of the very delicate chairs and surveyed his surroundings. The café was cosy and dimly lit, and a whole lamp's light was extinguished when a plump silhouette waddled towards their table.

"Tessie!" exclaimed the woman. She was extremely short, had a full head of frizzy brown hair, dark tanned skin, kind chocolate eyes, and most noticeably, webbed green hands and feet. "I haven't seen you in decades! And oh!" she stopped short and nearly overturned a table. "You have a _friend_!"

"Hello Martha," Tessa sighed with a smile. "Yes, I've come back. And this is James Carstairs, he's a fr-"

"Shadowhunter!" Martha said with wide eyes. "We haven't had one of you in here for a while." She leaned on the table and stared inquisitively at Jem. Tessa raised her eyebrows in horror and shook her head in a quick movement. Martha paused and stood back up with a smirk.

"I'll leave you two to decide what you would fancy." She said with an emphasised wink at Tessa as she disappeared into the kitchen. Tessa nervously looked over the table to see that Jem looked both slightly flustered and mirthful.

"I assume I just met the owner, who seems to know you very well?" Jem raised a fine eyebrow.

"Yes," Tessa sighed. "She was very good company when Magnus had to leave."

"Does she do any of the cooking? Do you think maybe we should've stayed with the bacon?" Jem suggested hopefully.

"Mmmm…" Tessa decided it was better not to answer. She pretended to be busy reading her menu. When the red tailed warlock came to take their orders she helped Jem make a decision and then sat in silence while they waited. Jem was busy thoroughly interpreting a newspaper, which gave Tessa a perfect opportunity to observe him. Where once he had been as pale and slim as the waning moon; a silver prince with silver crown and beautiful, silver, lunar eyes, he was now as mysterious as the dark side of the moon. Black and gold shadows fell over angular features and strong muscles. A mystery that not even words could describe. The stark silver streak against his black hair the only sign of what used to be. His beautiful black eyes seemed to go on forever, as if Tessa could stare through and see his soul; all that shaped him, and all of his life. If she could write down the content of those eyes, her immortal life would not give her enough time. Gold flecked rims, ebony irises, staring… straight at her.

"Tessa?" Jem asked with a hint of worry in his voice. "Are you alright? You seem a bit…"

Tessa shook herself out of her reverie and looked around her. "Sorry, I'm alright. Has our food arrived yet?"

"Yes." Jem slowly pushed a plate across the table. He still looked concerned but he picked up another subject.

"The food here is delicious. It's a very nice place."

"I'm glad you think so. Does it feel good to taste food again?"

Jem didn't reply but stared uneasily into the cup of coffee he had his hands clasped around.

"I know that you want me to tell you about my life as a silent brother, but the thing is, I can't remember. I would like to tell you if I could. But when you're a silent brother, everything is as if there is a frosted glass wall separating you from the rest of the world. When I was listening to you talking before it was like sound and colour had suddenly been added to my memories. I remembered, but not enough. I'm, I'm so sorry."

Tessa reached across the table and touched his hand. "Jem, it's alright. I don't mind if you don't remember. What matters is that we live in the present. If anything I just wish you'd be able to ease your conscience..." _'__When you talked before it was like sound and colour had suddenly been added to my memories_._'_ Tessa inhaled sharply. Talking had helped her to move on, words were her the sound and colour of her soul, but they were not Jem's medium.

"Martha?" she called across the tables. "May I please borrow a napkin?"

* * *

**Please Review! Anything you didn't like, or did you like it? :D **

**Next Chapter Coming Soon. What does Tessa need a napkin for? Will we see more characters?**


	4. Note to the readers

**Hi guys!**

**Now, in a couple of weeks I will be away for about a month overseas, so won't get a chance to update. So you might be waiting a couple of days now because I'm going to give you guys several long chapters to make up for it.**

**Please read and review!**

**I hope you are liking the story so far :)**

**From ****_insufferablelittleknow-it-all_**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! Sorry, I know I haven't updated in a while (okay maybe more than a while). Thanks for the reviews. Yes, I try to keep my writing as close to what a continuation of the epilogue written by Cassie would be like, but without any idea of what plot she may have had in mind.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any of these characters or the Infernal Devices, these belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare.**

There was a sound of a large door closing and Jem felt himself stepping over what seemed to be marble tiled floor. He could still smell the coffee on the napkin held around his eyes. He had been rather scandalised when Tessa had simply called out across the cafe, even though it had felt like a rather comfortable, homey space, where propriety wasn't greatly required. He guessed he needed to get used to modern customs and attitudes... there was a lot he needed to get used to in this new age.

"Ow!" he called out. His toe had just come into contact with a very hard, very solid surface.

"Oops. Sorry Jem." Tessa sighed. "There are some stairs here."

_Stairs_, Jem thought vaguely. _Marble floors..._ Something tugged at the back of his mind.

Another door shut softly. Jem could hear Tessa tiptoeing towards him, feel her breath on the back of his neck, as she slowly removed the napkin blindfold.

* * *

A gentle breeze blew through the lacy curtains, a clean linen was on the bed; waiting for it's sleeper, and the sun filtered in and found rest illuminating the tints of the polished wooden case upon the desk. The elaborate writing still marked the owner's name.

Jem walked like a sleepwalker in wonder over to the desk. He cautiously flipped the catches and drew out the gleaming instrument. His hands automatically moved to adjust the pegs, but it was perfectly tuned, and no rosin was needed on the bow. He breathed in deeply and raised it to the point just beneath his chin where it fit perfectly with his body. His eyes closed, his arm came up, and brought the bow to rest upon the strings. There was a faint chord as it touched them, and then Jem was swept away, his bow moving back and forth over the strings, ringing the melody from them with sweeping actions and triumphant expressions.

Tessa watched in awe, marvelling in the pure beauty of the melodies, although she could sense hesitancy in Jem's movements. His music was not purposeful, but rather abstract, as if he were wandering through dreams, not quite with any idea where he was going. Ideas drifted through the fantasy, one after the other, always ambiguous and half formed. Calls echoed out from the depths of the violin, then came a clearer vision, one of an old manor house.

Suddenly Jem's playing became frantic, chasing the vision, Tessa could feel him reaching out, stretching his hand... and grasping the image. The melody finally became clear as the manor house pulled Jem into a whirlwind of memories.

Tessa could hear pain and transition to the brotherhood, she could hear loneliness and emptiness, happiness for his best friend. She could see Jem staring into the eyes of the one named for him, holding the sweaty palms of hands filled with demon poison, see a rowboat on a clear lake, and a grand oak rustling in a gale. With a pang Tessa heard the music of a life lived with love and happiness, albeit some rash and reckless actions, and a slim, forlorn figure waiting on a windswept bridge, standing rooted throughout the ages, one constant anchor.

The tension built in the music, rising and growing, until suddenly it released, the chords became strong and clear. Vibrant colours bloomed from the strings, sounds gushed forth, and exotic smells wafted through the room.

Slowly Jem's bow played a final tune, and then came to rest by his side. His cheeks were flushed with a healthy glow and a light danced in his eyes. Tessa wiped a tear from her own and ran up to embrace him.

"Jem, that was beautiful!" Her voice was muffled against his chest. "Zhi yin."

Tessa heard Jem inhale sharply, then he moved to put down the violin and rest his hand against her head, gently stroking her hair.

"I heard the colours of your soul, saw your memories through your eyes, heard the music of your spirit, and it was wonderful." Tessa whispered.

She smiled into Jem's chest for several minutes, before she gently detached herself from the embrace and moved over to the desk, where she opened a drawer and pulled out a silk wrap. She guided Jem over to sit on the bed and placed the silken parcel beside him.

"You once told me that there may come a time I should give this to you, and I believe now is that day." Tessa spoke gently as she indicated the shape.

Jem shot her a questioning look, and then with shaking fingers he drew aside the silk covering, exposing the brown hilt of a once intricate silver dagger. Earth and blood crusted the blade, but he made no move to wipe it off as he drew the dagger into his lap. His fingers traced over the engravings, and then he hunched over it as if against a strong wind, and held it to his heart, next to where the faded parabatai rune was still etched into his skin.

"Will wanted you to have it." Tessa whispered. "It marked the land that belonged to you two, and that forever shall belong to the two parabatai, no matter if they are separated by the river of death."

A tear landed atop the hilt and ran down the length of the blade. Another followed it. "We will meet again." Jem muttered.

Tessa reached and held Jem's hand, and they remained that way for a time, while Jem's breathing became steady. Tessa looked at their joined hands and smiled, but a thought tainted her smile. "Jem, there was something Martha said which made me think." Jem slowly looked up at her with soft eyes. "Are you going to go back to being a shadowhunter? Maybe join an Institute?"

Jem was still staring at her, and she couldn't draw her eyes away from his. "Tessa. A shadowhunter is what I am, and I can't change that." Tessa suddenly felt foolish and looked down into her lap.

"But I made you a promise, and the Clave says I can take a while to, work out what I'm doing."

He gave her hand a small squeeze. She slowly flitted over his long-fingered violinist one with her fingertips, and when he did not move it, gently traced over the eye pattern on the back of his wrist. She then turned to face him and traced over the dark, black slashes across his cheekbones, wiping away a lingering tear. Jem closed his eyes and brought his hand up to cover hers on his cheek, before hesitating, gently depositing Tessa's hand back in her lap and gracefully standing up.

"Thank you Tessa, coming here has greatly eased my mind." He beamed a smile at her. "But I cannot believe you kept my room the same, you needn't have done that."

Tessa looked up at him and smiled wanly. "But of course we needed to. It belonged to you, and was never properly vacated. Your violin was well taken care of by John Carstairs, who treated it with care that you would have approved of."

Jem looked up sharply at the mention of the name, but not for the reason Tessa expected. "But John Carstairs died... earlier this year."

Tessa nodded. "Magnus brought back the violin one night to my apartment, with the news. I brought it here that night. Cassandra and Thomas were quite surprised when I appeared on the doorstep in the thundering storm. They've taken care of your room over the years and made sure to do the same with your violin."

"Cassandra and Thomas?" Jem pondered.

"The Kingsmills and Lightwoods that run the Institute now. I'll introduce you to them." Tess stood up and gently tugged at Jem's hand, leading him over to the door with her. With a reassuring smile she swung it wide.

* * *

There was a squeal and a flash of brown as something dashed across their vision and behind the opening door. Jem looked over at Tessa, she simply raised an eyebrow. Jem let go of her hand and peered around the door. Behind it was a slim figure clad in black, with long, fine chestnut hair, and large hazel eyes. She stared up nervously at Jem, biting her lip, and shaking. Jem realised that she was genuinely afraid of him and softened.

"Hello," he smiled.

"Hello," she whispered back in a petrified voice. Her eyes were extremely wide in her face, and a smattering of freckles stood out clearly against her pale skin.

Jem looked at her thoughtfully. The girl still stood completely still, except for her shaking.

"I'm James Carstairs, but you can call me Jem. What's your name?" Jem held out his hand.

The girl cautiously took it and gave it a quick shake before her hand retreated. "My name is Alice Kingsmill. What are you doing here?"

Jem considered, "My friend brought me here to show me my room."

The girl's eyes grew even wider. "That's _your_ room?"

"Yes it is, well it was, a very long time ago." Jem looked around him to see where Tessa has gotten too, but she seemed to have disappeared. "So what are _you_ doing here?"

"I live here," stated Alice. "But... I heard music and came to listen. It was coming from your room. Did you make it?"

"Well I was playing, yes. I'm sorry if it bothered you." Jem wondered how long had the girl been listening. "I'm leaving anyway."

"No!" The girls eyes sparked before she regained composure. "Please don't go. It didn't bother me at all. I didn't hear all of it, it sounded special and secret, so I blocked my ears, but I wish I could make music like you do." She was fiddling with her fingers. "Could you teach me?"

* * *

**Okay, hopefully you guys liked it :) **

**I'll try to get the next chapter up maybe a BIT sooner. But, let's say if you want to see the next chapter, I need to get at least three reviews. ;)**


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